In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of xylanase (XYL), emulsifier (EMU), and a combination of both (XYL + EMU) in wheat diet with a high level of tallow on gastrointestinal tract microbiota activity, excretion of sialic acids, and selected gut segments morphology of 480 one-day-old male ROSS 308 broiler chickens. The activities of bacterial enzymes in the ileal digesta were lower in experimental groups compared to the control (CON) group. Enzyme activity in the cecum was significantly higher than in the ileum. The additives did not affect the excretion of sialic acid. The number of duodenum goblet cells on the villi decreased in all of the experimental groups (p < 0.05). The simultaneous use of XYL + EMU deepened the ileum crypts (p < 0.05). The total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration in the cecal digesta was higher in experimental groups. The abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli did not change among experimental groups. The relative abundance of Clostridium was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in groups with emulsifier addition. In conclusion, the simultaneous usage of EMU and XYL in wheat-based diets with beef tallow reduces the ileum microbiota activity and enhances cecum microbiota activity. Presumably, the addition of both additives results in a cumulative effect on the gut microbiota activity.

This study investigated the nutritional value (digestibility of ileal crude protein and amino acids (AAs)) and the AMEN value of legumes (pea, faba bean, yellow lupin, and narrow-leaved lu...

The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition of European soy seeds. A mycological and toxigenic screening was carried out on 18 varieties of soy seeds harvested in Poland. Moreover, the level of soybean meal (SBM) substitution by raw soybean seeds was analysed in terms of its effect on young pigs’ performance (body weight gain, feed intake, feed utilisation) along with apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and crude protein in the diets. In a 28-day trial, 48 male pigs were tested using a marker method with TiO₂. In their diets, SBM was replaced by soy seeds in the amounts of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. In the last 3 days of the experiment, samples of excreta from each animal separately were collected three times per day. The chemical composition of soybean seeds differed in terms of their contents of crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre and raffinose family oligosaccharides, as well as the trypsin inhibitor activity. Seeds were also contaminated with fungi, yeast and mycotoxins, mainly zearalenone and deoxynivalenol. The ATTD of crude protein ranged from 70.6% to 77.6% and that of dry matter from 93.5% to 94.6%, with no differences between the groups being found (p > 0.05). Pigs’ performance parameters were reduced strongly with increasing amounts of raw seeds in the diets (p < 0.05). The results indicate that only a 5% addition of raw soy seeds in pigs‘ diet is recommended.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of emulsifier and multicarbohydrase enzyme supplementation on performance, nutrient utilization, and apparent metabolizable energy—nitrogen (AME_N) value of broiler diets containing rapeseed meal (RSM) as well as their influence on the gut morphological structures, excretion of total and free sialic acid, and cecum concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in broiler chickens. A total of 384 male broiler chicks were assigned to four dietary treatments. The diet of the control treatment (CON) consisted of soybean, maize, and RSM (5% in starter, 7% in grower, 15% in finisher) with soybean and palm oils. The diets used for the experimental treatments were the control diet supplemented with an emulsifier (EMU), enzyme (ENZ), or both (EMU + ENZ). The duodenum (n = 10/treatment) and ileum (n = 10/treatment) digesta samples were assessed to determine nutrient digestibility: crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), starch, Ca. Throughout the experimental period, EMU + ENZ treatment indicated the lowest total average feed intake and feed conversion ratio, with the highest average weight gain among the studied treatments (P < 0.05). The EMU + ENZ treatment also resulted in higher (P < 0.05): apparent prececal digestibility (APD) of CP, total tract neutral detergent fibre (NDF) degradation, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of EE, villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.1). The highest APD of EE was noted in the EMU treatment (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the AME_N values of the diets. A greater jejunum villi surface area was found in groups supplemented by enzyme compared to CON (P < 0.05). The EMU + ENZ treatment presented lower sialic acid excretion in the ileum and concentration of cecum SCFAs compared to the CON treatment (P < 0.05). The obtained results indicate that simultaneous usage of additives had beneficial effect on production parameters, nutrient digestibility, NDF degradation, as well as gut mucosa morphology. Based on the SCFAs concentration results, separate or simultaneous addition of emulsifier or/and enzyme did not provoke excessive fermentation activity of cecal bacteria.

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing an emulsifier, xylanase or a combination of both on the growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, microflora activity and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens fed triticale-based diets. A total of 480 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: control (CON), control with an added emulsifier (EMU), control with added xylanase (ENZ) and control with emulsifier and xylanase (EMU+ENZ). Xylanase supplemented groups had diminished feed intake (FI) and enhanced body weight gain (BWG) only within the starter period (p ≤ 0.05), while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the ENZ and ENZ+EMU groups was lower than CON during the whole experiment period. There was significant ENZ and EMU interaction in apparent metabolisable energy corrected to N equilibrium (AME_N) as well as NDF and DM retention. The viscosity of ileum digesta was the lowest in groups with enzyme addition. Interactions show that caecal galactosidase-α activity was higher in the CON group compared to EMU supplementation, but similar to ENZ and EMU+ENZ (p < 0.05). Activity of glucosidase-α was higher in the CON group related to inclusion of EMU or ENZ alone (p < 0.05) but did not differ from the combined supplementation of EMU+ENZ, whereas the glucosidase-β activity was higher in the CON group compared to all supplemented diets (p < 0.05). Caecal C2 concentration was greater in the CON group than supplemented diets (p < 0.05). The expression of FATP1, PEPT1 and SGLT1 in the ileum was downregulated after emulsifier addition (p ≤ 0.05). The addition of emulsifier and xylanase indicates a mutual effect on broiler chickens' performance and nutrient digestibility in triticale diets with palm oil during the first nutritional period. Additionally, concomitantly additives usage influenced intestinal microbiome activity, as well.

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the introduction of 5% of raw soybean seeds instead of soybean meal on the growth, feed consumption and utilization of growing pigs, also the carcass and pork quality. The growth experiment was conducted on 120 pigs of approx. 18.5 kg allocated to two dietary treatments. The animals from the control treatment (CON) were offered a diet with soybean meal, and the experimental group (EXP) was given 5% raw soybean seeds (NON-GMO, Augusta var.) instead of SBM. The experiment lasted 88 days. After the experiment, eight pigs from each group were euthanized and meat samples were collected. No diet effect on the animals’ performance and carcass quality were observed (P>0.05). The experimental diet affected (P<0.05) meat color, and also meat composition (higher water content and lower intramuscular fat content). The composition of fatty acids in the meat did not differ significantly, except for higher C16:1 content in the EXP group. The introduction of 5% raw soybean seeds in the diets did not impact animal performance, but it reduced some indices of the pork quality.